The Sustainable Engagement Fund Report 2025 is out!

The Sustainable Engagement Fund is part of the EYP Climate Youth Action Plan, a broader initiative by the European Youth Parliament that facilitated young people across Europe to act on climate issues. The Fund specifically aimed to “empower young people to act for climate neutrality within their existing civil society engagement and along the tested peer education format.” In practice, this means that each year, at least five to six EYP National Committees (NCs) received funding to implement climate-friendly projects that contributed positively at local, national, or international levels. These projects encouraged networking around climate-related issues, fostered leadership among young people, and served as replicable models of sustainable event organisation within their communities. As part of the Climate Youth Action Plan, the Sustainable Engagement Fund contributed directly to EYP’s long-term commitment to sustainability and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, while providing young Europeans with mentorship and opportunities to turn innovative climate ideas into concrete action.

Summary

Headline achievements:

•  The Sustainable Engagement Fund allocated 45,925€ across 45 NCs. 
• Cutting travel emissions at scale.  EYP France (EYP FR, 1800€) incentivised rail and coach travel in the Angers 2023 – National Session, saved an estimated 1.14 t CO₂ and sparked momentum toward a wider “no plane” culture; lessons travelled to the UK, where EYP United Kingdom (EYP UK, 2000€) laid the groundwork for a national carbon tracking and green reimbursement system for volunteers travelling abroad.
• Making zero waste the new normal. From EYP Portugal’s (EYP PT, 800€) permanent switch to reusable stationery in the Bragança 2023 – National Selection Conference, to EYP Romania’s (EYP RO, 2500€) vegetarian, plastic-free Ploiești 2024 – National Selection Session, and EYP Spain’s (EYP ES, 600€) fully paperless, low carbon event model in the Madrid 2025 – Regional Session, material footprints shrank while durable guidelines took root.
• Building empowered, climate-literate youth networks. EYP Armenia’s dual projects (EYP AM, respectively 800€ and 625€) in the Sevan 2024 – Regional Selection Conference, brought biodiversity debates to Lake Sevan, and the Aparan 2024 – Regional Selection Conference, piloted solar-powered venues and forged lasting partnerships with local NGOs—extending EYP’s reach to underserved regions

Key Lessons Learned

• Communicate early, communicate often. Uptake of greener travel options hinges on timely, targeted messaging and clear reimbursement terms (Angers 2023, EYP UK).
• Pilot, test, then scale. Simple, user-vetted solutions (e.g., white reusable sticky notes) outperform complex alternatives (Bragança 2023).
• Lock partners in early. Securing caterers, NGOs, and venues well ahead prevents costly lastminute pivots (Ploiești 2024, Madrid 2025).
• Measure what matters—and nudge for feedback. Carbon tracking and postevent surveys turn pilots into policy, but only when data collection is actively facilitated (Madrid 2025).

Overview of funding

Over the period of December 2022 until May 2025 the Sustainable Engagement Fund financially supported  45 projects (8 in the 1st round, 10 in the 2nd round, 10 in the 3rd round, 6 in the 4th round, 11 in the 5th round) out of 76 applications for a total of 45,925€ (7,000€ in the 1st round, 15,000€ in the 2nd round, 14,300€ in the 3rd round, 5,625€ in the 4th round, 4,000€ in the 5th round). On average, each project was funded by an amount of 1,021€, and the maximum funds provided to a project was 2,500€. The funds covered 26 different National Committees.

To ensure that Sustainable Engagement Fund resources are allocated to the most impactful and replicable initiatives, every proposal was evaluated against the following set of criteria.

• Long-term impact on the NC: Evidence that the activity will yield sustained systemic or behavioural change of benefit to the NC, rather than a one-off outcome.
• Environmental sustainability focus: Core objectives explicitly address sustainable practices.
• “Breaks the EYP bubble”: Engages new partners and audiences beyond the traditional EYP network—connecting civil society actors, public institutions or under-represented groups.
• Replicability across NCs: Project design can be adopted by other NCs, amplifying its impact network-wide.
• Innovation: Introduces methods, formats or partnerships not previously piloted within EYP.
• Fundraising difficulty: Prioritises initiatives for which the NC would face significant challenges securing alternative funding.
• Previous SEF/NC Project Fund support: Preference for committees that have not yet received grants from the Sustainable Engagement Fund or NC Project Fund.
• Financial stability of the NC: Demonstrates stable governance, sufficient scale and longevity relative to the committee’s age, indicating sound financial health.

The analysis that follows focuses on seven SEF-supported projects as selected “case studies”, given their high scores based on the above criteria, especially their impact, innovation and replicability – EYP FR: Angers 2023, National Session; EYP PT: Bragança 2023, National Selection Conference; EYP UK: across the network ; EYP AM1: Sevan 2024, Regional Selection Conference; EYP RO: Ploiești 2024 , National Selection Session; EYP AM2: Aparan 2024, Regional Selection Conference; and EYP ES: Madrid 2025, Regional Session.

Overview of types of projects supported

While the SEF funded a variety of projects, this analysis will focus on a smaller selection that is intended to be somewhat representative of all of the projects selected while bearing in mind different local contacts. As such, EYP FR and EYP UK primarily addressed transportation-related emissions. EYP FR’s encouraged officials to choose greener modes of transport, such as trains and coaches, by providing financial incentives and accommodations when travelling to and from their session in Angers 2023. The initiative was successful, achieving approximately 25% emissions savings, totaling around 1,140 kg CO₂. EYP UK aimed for a similar impact across the network, aiming to incentivise its members to travel environmentally-friendly when volunteering at sessions abroad, but faced substantial hurdles with participant uptake initially low, highlighting the importance of targeted communication and flexible reimbursement conditions. Despite this setback, the experience led EYP UK to develop a broader, more robust framework for sustainable travel reimbursements and carbon footprint tracking, setting a foundation for future systemic change.

Waste reduction and resource optimisation emerged as central themes in projects implemented in Bragança 2023, Ploiești 2024, Madrid 2025. EYP PT experimented with a paperless approach in the Bragança 2023 session, testing reusable office supplies and integrating feedback to refine the use of eco-friendly materials. While quantitative savings weren’t explicitly calculated, the success of simpler reusable materials led to the adoption of permanent practices. Similarly, EYP RO combined reusable materials with vegetarian catering and compostable tableware, directly engaging 140 participants and indirectly promoting eco-conscious behaviours during the Ploiești 2024 session. Although some participants resisted the vegetarian menu initially, overall acceptance and subsequent behaviour change indicate the project’s longer-term effectiveness. EYP ES’s Madrid 2025 session built upon these ideas, demonstrating a comprehensive sustainability model that included carbon offsetting, electric transportation, zero-paper operations, and locally sourced catering.

Environmental education and local community engagement were particularly strong themes in EYP AM’s projects. In the Sevan 2024 session, EYP AM emphasised biodiversity awareness, plastic reduction, recycling, and regional youth empowerment. Despite logistical hurdles like last-minute sponsor dropouts and reduced school involvement due to holidays, the project fostered deeper environmental awareness and strengthened regional youth networks. EYP AM further expanded on these ideas through a networking hub and media campaign in the Aparan 2024 session, emphasising renewable energy (solar-powered venues), waste minimisation, and digital outreach. Both Armenian projects notably enhanced EYP Armenia’s organisational visibility and sustainability practices.

Challenges & Lessons Learned

Common challenges across these SEF-funded projects included logistical complexities, participant engagement, and effective communication. For example, EYP FR highlighted the burden of verifying sustainable travel itineraries in the organisation of the Angers 2023 session, demonstrating the necessity of dedicated support and clear guidelines. EYP UK revealed that limited visibility and awareness significantly hindered participant uptake, underscoring the need for proactive, targeted communication strategies.

Material usability emerged as a practical challenge for EYP PT in the Bragança 2023 session, where certain reusable office supplies proved less effective than anticipated, reinforcing the importance of product testing and iterative refinement. Similarly, EYP RO faced participant resistance to vegetarian menus and logistical issues with securing speakers in the Ploiești 2024 session, emphasising the value of early partner engagement and clear policy enforcement. Communication issues surfaced again for EYP ES after the Madrid 2025 session, where a low survey response rate hampered detailed feedback, illustrating the necessity for strategic feedback collection processes.

Long-term Impact & Sustainability

Several projects showcased potential for systemic or lasting behavioural changes beyond the immediate SEF funding period. EYP FR’s project notably inspired internal momentum toward a long-term no-flight policy, embedding a sustainable travel ethos into the organisational culture. Likewise, EYP UK’s, despite initial setbacks, prompted a strategic re-evaluation, resulting in long-term planning around carbon tracking and sustainable travel incentives.

The projects led by EYP PT and EYP RO created lasting shifts toward reusable materials and sustainable consumption practices, now integrated into ongoing organisational norms. EYP ES’s project comprehensively tested sustainability measures likely to become a template for future sessions, including paperless operations and carbon-neutral strategies. EYP AM’s projects reinforced community engagement and sustainability education as persistent aspects of their operations, leveraging partnerships to sustain these efforts.

Unexpected positive impacts were abundant. EYP FR’s project strengthened school partnerships, EYP PT’s project enhanced internal innovation, and EYP RO saw broader acceptance of sustainable lifestyle changes among participants. Similarly, EYP AM’s initiatives fostered intercultural dialogue and robust collaboration with local NGOs, enhancing the visibility and operational capacities of the NC.

Conclusion

The SEF projects collectively underscore that embedding sustainability into youth-focused civic engagements is not only feasible but also impactful. Continued emphasis on clear communication, robust logistical support, and proactive participant engagement strategies will be crucial to further deepen and sustain these positive environmental impacts. Financial support has also proven to be a key driver of success, as incentivising sustainable behaviours encourages greater participation and long-term commitment. Recognizing this, the International Office remains committed to actively seeking funding for similar initiatives. Importantly, the vision behind the SEF is that, while initial financial support helps to catalyse change, National Committees will ultimately integrate these sustainable practices into their regular operations, ensuring lasting impact beyond the initial funding period.